SENATORIAL TICKET: THE TRAVAIL OF GOV. AHMED

The Saraki political dynasty which has enjoyed the monotonous reign and dictatorship of the happenings in the state socially, politically, economically and virtually all sector of Kwara state has been faced with series of challenges in recent days. One of which is the recent defeat it suffered in the just concluded House of Representative election, which came up as a result of the demise of the formal house member representing Ifelodun/Isin/Ekiti/Oke-ero federal constituencies Honourable Funke Adedoyin.

The outcome of the election has generated a lot of controversies for the dynasty as it poses a great threat to the existence of the dynasty. One of such controversies is the swapping of the Kwara South Senatorial ticket earlier given to the incumbent governor Alh. Abdulfatai Ahmed to the incumbent senator representing the senatorial zone Dr. Rafiu Ibrahim. The sudden change/swap of the candidature for the post has really heated the polity in the state and generated a lot of controversies. Series of speculations has been flying around as being the reason for such decision by the leader of the dynasty Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Senate President.

A source had it that there is a fallout between the Governor and the Senate President, over the defeat in the just concluded by-election. It was widely speculated that the Senate President perceived the defeat as a threat to the chances of his dynasty winning the 2019 election, by extension his reign in the zone. Hence, the need to replace the governor who is believed to have lost political relevance in the zone, with the incumbent senator who is perceived to have more political relevance over the governor.

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Another source had it that majority of the traditional rulers in the zone had rejected the candidature of the Gov. Abdulfatai vehemently, threatening to drop their support for the dynasty should they fail to replace the governor with a more credible candidate. Similarly, according to the statement attributed to the state governor, he had to shelf his ambition of going to the senate after many consultations and pleas from some Ibolo leaders who he claimed maintained that the Ibolos are entitled to using 2 terms in the red chambers, as this is the usual tradition within the dynasty. It was reported that the elders stated that the Igbomina and Ekiti has enjoyed 2 terms each in the upper chamber and sees no reason why they (the Ibolos) shouldn’t benefit same.

The state governor through his SSA Media has debunked the widely speculation that he was replaced by the leader of the dynasty as a result of the defeat suffered in the by-election, but had to cede the position to the Ibolos for equity.